Brchi,
I see the FPS indicator on the server console which defaults to 9ms, approximately 100fps on VC GUARD 10.1. Will it enhance server performance to reduce it to say 2ms or approximatley 325 fps? Not sure what this setting does or what affect it has on the game? Please Advise. DR^GIGGLEZ.
I found that ~100fps are just fine, also with 40 players. There was no noticeable slowdown of anything, so I suggest to keep it that "low" because it saves cpu power.
// UPDATE 10.2
// Added country to playerlist/banlist and some logs (Download ip2nation.sql from www.ip2nation.com and put it into the Vietcong directory).
// Added "nogui"-mode to create a log (noguilog.txt) instead of showing message boxes on errors (Create an empty nogui.txt file to activate this).
// Added close prompt to avoid accidental closing.
// Added buttons to copy name/ip of selected player.
// Improved playerlist sorting/update performance.
// (No new options added here. You can use the old ini file)
Very nice additions with the IP Locator and copy functions. The "Close" prompt is also nice as I have accidentally done this on more than one occasion. I use "Teamviewer" to remotely manage our game server and with multiple screens opened on my desktop it will surely continue to happen. Very nice improvements! DR^GiggLez.
I have two questions related to the last version of VC Guard i. e. v10.2 that I need help with. They are:
(1) What is the proper syntax for command .addrange and .banrange? I've tried using as an example: .addrange 79.253.000.000 to 79.253.999.999 and it comes up invalid. I've also tried several others. Can you show me the correct syntax (example) to add or ban a range of ip's?
(2) I also set up a text file: nogui and put it in the VC directory along with the other files per Brchi's instructions. What is this file for and did i name it correctly?
It's in the readme what nogui does: It then creates a log file (logs\noguilog.txt) instead of showing a message box if any error occurs (on startup or exception). It's for rented servers actually.
I want to do one last big update, so let me know if you have any wishes.
Preliminary changelog:
// NEW OPTIONS 10.3
nogui = 0 // Creates a noguilog.txt for errors instead of showing error message boxes (Useful if server is rented and without GUI access).
chatlogload = 100 // Load only the most recent entries (0 to 1000, -1 to disable and load all) of chatlog.txt into the chatlog dialog.
chatloglimit = 200 // Maximum (10 - 1000, 0 to disable and show all) of lines to show in the chatlog dialog.
idlesleep = 100 // Value (10 to 100, 0 to disable) to sleep every "engine tick" if server is empty, in milliseconds. Useful to reduce load (especially AI scripts) and save energy.
voteratio = 30 // Percentage (25 to 50) of YES-votes of all players required for a successful vote. Normal is 49.
voterange = 3 10 // Minimum / Maximum (2 to 4, 7 to 15, 0 to disable) of YES-votes required for a successful vote. < minimum is no kick, >= maximum is kick, ignoring the ratio.
votelimit = 1 1 // [X Y] Not more than X votes (1 to 10) in Y minutes (1 to 5) allowed. Set X or Y to 0 to disable.
// You can just add these to your existing ini file, or replace the options below with your existing options.
// UPDATE 10.3
// Added option "nogui". Used instead of nogui.txt now.
// Added option "idlesleep".
// Added several chatlog options.
// Added several vote options.
// Added command .votemap (See .help command or "Commands" button).
// Added command .serversay (See .help ...).
// Added command .macro (See MACROS below).
// Added chatlog dialog (Press "Chatlog" button, press again to bring to front).
// Server and chatlog dialog will remember position / size (Delete dlgpos.dat if window disappears).
// Server can be started now even if vietcong.exe is running.
// Server process will exit if no window is created after 15 seconds (game port already bound etc.).
// Slots in launcher/dedfile don't have to be set to 64 anymore if "slots" option is used. Max. slots are shown correctly now.
// MACROS
// Macros (sequence of commands, see example macros\mapchange.txt) can be executed by ".macro Filename Time Interval Repeat" command (File extension can be omitted).
// There are four possible variations:
// .macro Filename
// .macro Filename Time
// .macro Filename Interval Repeat
// .macro Filename Time Interval Repeat
// Filename: don't use spaces. Time: local, 24h format hh:mm. Interval: seconds (1 to 86400). Repeat: count (1 to 86400 or INF (infinite)) (Repeat 1 = executed 2x in total).
// You can use any ptero or vcguard command in the macro file, line by line. There are two special commands: SLEEP X (seconds) and SILENT (don't show executed commands in console).
// Example: .macro srvmsg 60 INF (Executes the macro macros\srvmsg.txt every 60 seconds in an infinite loop).
// Example: .macro mapchange 15:00 (Executes the macro macros\mapchange.txt once at 15:00 local time).
That's already done but I want to add some more:
2d live "battle map"
pl info: conn. quality, shoot accuracy, kills/minute, cur. weapon
choose playerlist columns to show
packets/sec, bytes/sec, traffic total, cpu usage
FUN MODES (as so many asked): animations, equipment, port/portto (also per battlemap), wpnrule, cheat #2 disable (vehicles)
Great ideas Brchi, indeed . Especially releasing the fun modes for public (I really didn't hope for that).
I wonder what options will the cmd ".macro" give to us. We'll see. EDIT 2: Now I see. Cool!
Yes and I have few suggestions for new commands. I remember these from some early version of VCGuard (the XP version).
- cmd .ip <plID> to get player's IP and contry (if sql2nation is present). This used to be called .getip in the old programme.
- cmd .wl <text> (or .wlast) to whisper to last whispered player.
Then I have some more complex suggestions. EDIT 3: NOW USELESS →saving some advanced stats (maybe the output of the cllist cmd?) periodically in a *.txt file.
- add option(s) to choose the punishment for cheaters/exploiters. Now it's just '0 - disable detection' and '1 - enable (and ban the player)'. Option '2 - kick the player' and even option 'kick player, log his IP (for let's say 12 hours) and then ban him, if he gets another detection in specified time' could be used for some uncertain detections but since we don't know the meaning of some cheat codes, this probably doesn't make much sense.
These suggestions are just details, not important at all.
- maybe make the .whisper and .wl cmd available for regular players (or make this as new option)
- add .redsay <text> cmd in addition to .serversay
Thank you for your work you've done so far. It makes the game at least 100% better than it used to be...
EDIT (BUT REALLY NOT NEEDED after GameSpy services shutdown): One last thing I forgot to mention: adding some basic 'nickname reservation' system (useful for admins etc.). The best way I can think of is to make a simple login system for reserved nicknames - player with reserved nickname gets a message (server or red) that he has to type .login <password> in f.ex. 10 seconds (or will get kicked). The nicknames and passwords could be stored in a separated file and new commands to manage this file could be present (.addlogin <nickname> <password>, .listlogins, .removelogin <index> ).
All news sounds good and they are helpfull for me ,but how do you want to use (etc. macro) when I dont have GUI?
May be some "startup.txt" when I will be able set macros which will start with VCGuard.
Or "nogui_macro.txt" which will be VCGuard checking periodicly if there is some query(command) or macro(list of macros) to start.
(so this txt file will be like a gate to VCGuard)
Like I said before cmd .killme and .swapme should be as an option (if allowed for players or not)....
As Nosek mentioned advanced stats output should be fine as output like mpresults...(also may be an option if you want stats from engine or avanced from VCGuard)
If it possible do that ,so some output about remaining time of map...
H5N1 Bird Flu wrote:
All news sounds good and they are helpfull for me ,but how do you want to use (etc. macro) when I dont have GUI?
May be some "startup.txt" when I will be able set macros which will start with VCGuard.
Or "nogui_macro.txt" which will be VCGuard checking periodicly if there is some query(command) or macro(list of macros) to start.
(so this txt file will be like a gate to VCGuard)
Like I said before cmd .killme and .swapme should be as an option (if allowed for players or not)....
As Nosek mentioned advanced stats output should be fine as output like mpresults...(also may be an option if you want stats from engine or avanced from VCGuard)
If it possible do that ,so some output about remaining time of map...
About MPRESULTS - from there it is not clear if last round was won or lost or map was simply changed. So yes, it is good idea to have some way how to distinguish won/lost round.
Nosek wrote:
- saving some advanced stats (maybe the output of the cllist cmd?) periodically in a *.txt file.
H5N1 Bird Flu wrote:
As Nosek mentioned advanced stats output should be fine as output like mpresults...(also may be an option if you want stats from engine or avanced from VCGuard)
If it possible do that ,so some output about remaining time of map...
The purpose is to get more player stats and to record these stats into a web database more easily and accurately.
Periodically executing mpresults cmd via macro will partly do the job but saving some more advanced stats (you mentioned shoot accuracy and kills per minute) could enhance the system even more. Bird Flu will probably tell you more information as he manages the 30MiNuTeS' player stats system (see http://30min.mmho...).
And sorry about confusing you - I've just verified that the output of the cllist cmd is actually quite useless for recording stats ).
x 1
x 1
x 1
DR^GiggLez.
x 1
x 1
x 1
x 1
).